Torbjørn Færøvik's Blog, page 330

As Bangkok reopens to tourists, here's what it's like to visit now

Prior to the pandemic, Thailand welcomed millions of international travelers each month, the bulk of them beginning their vacations in the capital, Bangkok. The city's biggest international airport, Suvarmabhumi, was constantly abuzz with movement; travelers arriving from all corners of the globe at all hours, long lines snaking through the cavernous arrival hall as incoming passengers awaited

‘Our culture has changed’: young Thais boycott graduation ceremonies

When 24-year-old Krai Saidee returned to his alma mater Chiang Mai University on 14 January, nearly two years after his graduation, he came not just to support his friends but to make a political statement. Painted gold, he held up a sign attached to a graduation gown: “You took my dream, and gave me this,” the message read. Krai is part of a growing number of young Thais who are refusing to

Wall Street’s Big Bet on Chinese Markets Is Going All Wrong

The bar for China’s financial markets to do better this year was so low, virtually everyone on Wall Street was saying the country’s stocks and bonds could only go up.That bet isn’t going so well. Mainland equities just entered their first bear market since Donald Trump’s trade war. Shares in Hong Kong had their worst week in five months, with short sellers feasting like never before.

I 2017 vedtok Norges idrettsforbund at det ikke ville bruke spillemidler på idrettssamarbeidet med Kina. Det har de likevel gjort.

– Jeg har vært tydelig på at vi ønsker disse midlene på siden av spillemidlene. Men det er kulturdepartementets suverene rett til å fatte beslutninger i denne saken og det har vi forholdt oss til, sier idrettspresident Berit Kjøll.Norges idrettsforbund (NIF) har fått 3,2 millioner kroner fra spillemidlene for å koordinere idrettsavtalen Norge har med Kina. Pengebruken kan være i strid med loven,

Kineserne betalte godt for norsk OL-hjelp – hvorfor holdt ikke de norske trenerne ut?

I begynnelsen var Gerhard Heiberg. Og Gerhard Heiberg var en av idrettens mektigste menn. Av alt som er blitt til, skyldes mye OL-toppen fra Norge. Ikke minst fordi han i 2001 ble leder for markedskommisjonen i Den Internasjonale olympiske komité (IOC). Noe som igjen gjorde ham svært sentral da Kina skulle arrangere sommer-OL i Beijing i 2008.– Altså, jeg var sjef for alle inntekter i IOC, sier

China Annoyed As U.S. Diplomats Seek COVID Evacuation From 'Safest Country'

China has aired grievances with the United States following reports that Washington is considering an evacuation of American diplomats and their families because of the country's strict public health measures.A Reuters report said around one-quarter of U.S. embassy and consular staff would choose to leave "as soon as possible," amid concerns that Chinese health authorities could mandate hospital

In dealing with ‘friend’ China, Marcos will set aside Hague win and US treaty

Presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr looks prepared to set aside the historic arbiration win of the Philippines in The Hague to continue engaging the Chinese, whom he repeatedly called “friends” in a series of media interviews this week. “That arbitration is no longer an arbitration if there’s only one party. So, it’s no longer available to us,” said Marcos in an interview with

A top US diplomat says Putin may think twice about invading Ukraine during the Winter Olympics to avoid angering Xi Jinping

Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman on Wednesday suggested that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would be unhappy with Russian President Vladimir Putin if he invaded Ukraine during the Winter Olympics in Beijing next month. "We all are aware that the Beijing Olympics are beginning on February 4th, the opening ceremony, and President Putin expects to be there. I think that probably President Xi

Taiwan A Worldly Confused Identity

Taiwan is an island off the coast of China having an area of 35,808 square kilometres which is almost half the size of Sri Lanka. The Taiwan Strait 180-kilometre-wide separates Taiwan and continental Asia. The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea to the north. The democratically elected leaders say they run a country called the Republic of China (ROC). To the

Taiwan Has Not Been Asked to Change Name of Lithuania Office

Taiwan has not received a request to change the name of its de facto embassy in Lithuania, its foreign ministry said on Wednesday, after Reuters reported that Lithuanian officials were discussing whether to ask Taiwan to modify the name. Separately, a senior U.S. administration official told Reuters that Washington had not pressured the European country to change course in any way, following a